Beasts
by EzzNzz
Summary: The final battle left more then just a few scars on Hermione and there's a Slytherin looking for redemption after what's happened to her but can he fix her before she's too lost? DMXHG. Doesnt follow DH and HBP. DISCLAIMER: I dont own anything
1. Chapter 1

No one ever saw what was going to come after the war had ended and the toll was taken on the survivors. The day the sun rose after the final battle, the light had won, the light now shone on what was left. It was nothing they had ever imagined. The losses were too great to imagine. Death eaters and Order members were left dead and strewn on the ground. It had taken place at Hogwarts, away from the muggles who would never believe what had happened and would never know.

The sun's rays hit the side of the castle slowly but surely, today they would live. Today they would re-build. Re-grow. Their survival was like the little oak saplings that fought to root in the ground and grow into the grand oak it's meant to be.

Holes were blown through the sides of the ancient stones and ceilings collapsed as though a herd of trolls had run rampant. The truth was that, trolls had been going through the castle. They wrecked the furnishings; the screams of portraits could be heard echoing as the first wave of the Dark Lords army hit the school. It was shortly followed by the vampires, werewolves and finally the Death Eaters. Their large numbers outnumbered the Order members by 4 to 1, there were even the inferri in the dungeons.

It was now or then, when you decided who's side you were, if you were loyal or traitorous.

The suns rising brought a new day and an end to what had been around for decades. A lone female figure rose to stand amid the bleeding battle field, naked and scarred but not dead. She had refused to die in the night, crawling to safety amidst the bodies and hiding from the beast inside. Her hair whipped around wildly as she stood there and screamed to the sky. Screaming till the air emptied inside her before collapsing in the blood soaked earth under her fail body.

'Take up our quarrel with the foe:  
To you from failing hands we throw  
The torch; be yours to hold it high.'


	2. Chapter 2

The start of Hogwarts had been slow starting as small amounts of students returned in bunches. The children of Order members were the first, then students who had either fled the war or been sent away returned. Finally student who were on the dark side had been allowed to return. There was a different air about the school where the Golden Trio had lived, it was suffocating as McGonagall tried to fix what was broken.

Extensions were made to the old castle and the broken walls were fixed and patched with old stone as old as the castle itself.

The Golden Trio had shrunk to the Golden Duo during the battle. The two boys found their third member collapsed in amongst the dead, still alive but wounded and in what they'd say was the worst they had to deal with. Blood rolled down her face from the roots of her untameable hair to her slender neck. The muggle shirt she had worn for move ability was torn and barely covered the ripped skin across her stomach and thighs. She had been taken immediately to what remained of St Mungos and transferred to the ICU of the hospital; she was there the remainder of the summer. It had come to light later that Fenrir Greybacks second in command had gotten to her during the fight, after a long duel with him he managed to bite and scratch her until backups had come. By then the damage had been done and her life wouldn't be the same.

Insistent as she was, she returned to Hogwarts to study for her last year at the school, it was going to be different. It would be for all of them.

Hermione Granger was an enigma to those around her, a month ago she was viciously attacked while taking part in the biggest wizarding war in history and now she was running swiftly down to the Quidditch pitch because she was late to watch the first Quidditch practise for Gryffindor. Approaching the pitch quickly as her legs would take her, she raced up the stops of the stand and finally puffing out of breath she sat down to watch the boys practise.

"'Mione!" yelled a voice across the pitch, she glanced up and saw Ron waving frantically atop his broom and grinning broadly "Finally!"

"Sorry!" she yelled back before smiling softly as they began, they had changed so much over the summer she mused. Then again so had she, in a way that she hadn't expected. Opening the book she had brought with her named 'Lycanthropy: The Difference between a Love Bite and a Lycan Bite' she grimaced at the title before flicking it open so she could learn a bit more about the affliction she now suffered. The hours dragged on until it got dark and dinner was approaching. She'd so far read about the origins of the name Werewolf and more basic details about them. It also had said that sadly there was no cure for it. Getting up and closing the books she wandered down in time for everyone to start getting out of the changing rooms.

"-Remember what I said about the first match against Hufflepuff, we have to watch out for Bandly their new beater, right beast he is," finished Harry to the rest of the teaming before turning away to walk back to the castle "That was tiring, if they would just listen!" he exclaimed frustatedly to Ron, Hermione and Ginny as the quartet wandered back to the castle for dinner.

"It's fine Harry, you'll do just as well as you always have, just remember to beat Slytherin" smiled Hermione before stepping into the Great Hall. The room was crowded now as most of the student body had joined the room. As they sat down Hermione glanced at the Slytherin table and couldn't see a tell tale sign of Malfoy who she had discovered stared at her a lot. She poked at her mash potatoes again as she thought of the days ahead. Tonight was a full moon, it would mean she had to go away and sleep in the forbidden forest, like McGonagall had said.

"What's the matter 'mione?" asked Ginny across from her

"It's nothing, just that time again" she replied quietly, making an 'O' shape with her mouth, Ginny looked down at her food before looking back at her best friend

"Lupin said it wouldn't hurt as much as the first time during the summer"

"I know but its just we're at school and I don't want anyone finding out" she murmured across the mash again. Smiling weakly at Hermione, Ginny stayed quiet because she knew Hermione wouldn't want to talk about it again. The doors of the Great Hall burst open and in strode the blond haired boy who had been staring at her for a while, next to him was the tall dark skinned Blaise looking around with an eyebrow raised as though waiting to pick his next conquest. Looking down disgustedly at the thought she'd gotten into her head she couldn't help but wonder how many he'd had so far.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got a potions essay to write,"

"So soon? You didn't eat your food!" whined Ron as he watched the girl rise from the table. She fixed the beanie atop her head and the jumper over her chest before giving him a sceptical look

"It doesn't matter Ronald, I have a lot of advanced studies to do and this one will only drag me back later," she snorted at the red head before saying bye to the others and meandering out of the Great Hall. She wandered out the hall and towards the library; she'd need to get this essay finished if she was going to be out of class for the next day. The library was her sanctuary, she'd been granted access to the restricted area many times because of her over use of the place. Resorting to sitting there when there was a dim hum of voices around her; she'd grown to love the different books, even in the dusty restricted area.

* * *

Little did she know that she had been watched coming from the hall, the blonde haired boy had watched her leave as he entered, he noticed a change in her as soon as he saw her. She no longer walked with her head held high as though every person around her was below her, he saw her less at meals and there wasn't really a time he could laugh at her or call her mudblood. That had all changed during the war, he'd changed sides at the end after Lucius' death he swapped sides to save his mother.

It hadn't been in vain because his help had changed the scales and Harry was able to get closer to Voldemort without much trouble. The plans of Malfoy Manor were given over to the Order and many of the plans of Voldemort were given over, this meant more and more muggles were saved death and torture.

He had seen her and she looked sadder, like there was something wrong all the time. He hated not seeing her smile as much, she was so happy after the war, the thin smile worn always but Pothead and Weaselbe never saw through it. Sighing to himself as she wandered through into the restricted section he turned again and stalked back out, annoyed he'd missed another chance.

* * *

As the time ticked by she got up from her place in the library and put her book and essay back in her back. Stopping by the common room where she dropped her books, she ventured outside to the black lake. McGonagall would know where she was, she wouldn't have to worry. She could see the squid in the lake moving around and occasionally see its tentacle break the waters surface. It was 11 and still cloudy, there was no a soul on the grounds and a few lights flickered in the castle windows from her small space perched on the lowest branch of the tree. Softly whistling to herself she looked to the sky,

_Only a little while longer_

The nerves were fraying now as she kept hoping that there wouldn't be as much pain. Although the potion for the transformation had been given to her by Slughorn she knew that occasionally she'd have to let it out, it would be bad for her if she didn't. Suddenly there was the sound of a twig snapping, she spun around and came face to face with the last Slytherin she'd ever wanted to see in her life.

_'I'll seek you out,  
Flay you alive  
One more word and you won't survive  
And I'm not scared of your stolen power  
I see right through you any hour'_


	3. Chapter 3

_Malfoy..._

"What are you doing out here?"

"The same could be said for you Granger" he replied glaring at her slightly as she huffed and sorted out her clothes as though ruffled. Glancing up at the sky, the clouds were starting to get less. If Malfoy stayed he'd see what would happen, she could attack him and hurt him or even kill him. It hadn't bothered her so much that it was Malfoy but she'd be locked away for killing a student. She noted that in Malfoy's hand there was a broom

_He must've been out practising late..._

She turned again glancing nervously at the clouds.

"It'd be best if you go back now Malfoy, really" she insisted, now wasn't really the time to start arguing

"Why would that be Granger" he sneered back, the clouds were starting to clear completely and she could feel the tingling down her body, she wouldn't have a chance to get away unless she thought of something quick

"Malfoy please-"she started to beg before a blinding pain shot through her body. There was nothing she could do, the moonlight bathed over her body slowly; a stark contrast to what was happening to her body.

* * *

Malfoy looked on in intense concentration; he had no clue that this would be why she was out here

"Go," she screamed once more as there was a loud rip of clothes and skin coming apart. He blinked and felt bile rise in his throat as he watched the petite girl grow and rip out of her skin, large nails extending to claw on her small hands and her face changing shape with long canines coming out. When the popping of bones and the ripping of skin had stopped, he looked on in gross fascination as the small hairy girl let out a whimper, and then a loud howl.

Not needing to be told twice he mounted his broom and hovered off the ground, ready to take off if need be. He knew he wouldn't get much sleep as the Granger werewolf took off into the woods. For some reason he reached down and grabbed the shreds of clothes from the ground and swiftly took after the she-wolf into the woods.

_I must be insane...._

He had lost track of time because the moon had started to fade and the small specks of light were seen over the horizon of the black lake. He had followed the Granger she-wolf through the forest, seen her interact shyly with other beasts amongst the forest, keeping an eye out himself for any hanging beasts that should choose to attack, his wand at the ready, but nothing came. He finally followed her to the edge of the Forbidden Forest again and out next to the Lake, she'd curled in a dead tree hollow and lain down. There was a small groan and scuffling sounds before he deemed it safe to go down, landing softly he left his broom lying gently against the tree and peered through the gap in the tree.

Lying curled around herself was a very small and very naked Hermione Granger fast asleep on a file of leaves. If Draco hadn't been so fascinated at how the light gently hit her face and bathed her body in a warm glow, he would have laughed and ridiculed in his sleep. He knew her secret now and knew he had something juicy against her. There was a faint twinge of guilt in his heart when he thought of this; he'd witnessed something private and something not to be mentioned to anyone else.

When did this happen? How long had she been like this?

A small, muffled snort brought him out his thoughts; the petite she-wolf had moved again in her sleep, he let out a small smile before putting the mask in place. Remembering that he'd been sitting on her shredded clothes most of the night on his broom her went and grabbed them before attempting to fix them

"Repairo" he said quietly, before going back around in front of the tree. He sat down next to the opening in the hollow and waited. The sun was just coming up over the lake and reflecting over it. The huge squid was swimming across the top and Draco could just make out the side of its body and large eyes looking up at the sky and reflecting the rising sun. He smiled again until he felt a small hand grab his arm, he jumped and turned quickly, ready to attack anyone near him.

"M-Malfoy?" came a muffled voice from the small brown haired girl, he looked down to see Hermione Granger naked and rubbing her eyes. His eyes widened before trying to do the right thing and look away, but failed because of the long angry marks running down her skin as though it was trying somewhat half heartedly to fix itself.

* * *

She opened her eyes and seen bright blonde hair outside the hollow she'd chosen to lie in.

_He followed me, why?_

Disregarding the obvious fact of her nakedness, she reached out to touch his arm and get attention. He'd jumped and looked shocked, she rubbed her eyes and looked again, his eyes were on her arms, legs and body. Whether he was staring at her breasts she didn't know but she immediately assumed that it was the very angry and very sore lines across her body from the tearing of the skin. She felt his hand come out and gently rub the one down her arm; she winced and twitched at the alien feeling on her arms.

"Sorry" he mumbled before turning and withdrawing his hand, she then felt something soft tumble into her lap. It was her repaired clothes, she looked shocked then smiled at the boy she'd looked at before with hatred, he was being so kind to her right now that it almost made her cry out.

She quickly changed and started to crawl out of the hollow, Malfoy was standing at the edge of the lake with his broom in hand, and leaning against it as the sun was now higher in the sky and looking down angrily. He turned when he heard the leaves ruffle and saw her standing there worse for wear.

"Why are you here?" she asked tiredly, leaning heavily on the old oak

"You're a werewolf," it wasn't a question, just a statement. A very true and obvious one.

"Elgar" was all she said before looking up at the sky "Greybacks second in command" he looked at her shocked before stepping forward towards her "The sun is so nice," she commented on wistfully before slowing closing her eyes and falling forwards. Draco's seeker reflexes came into action and caught her before she fell. Grunting to himself he looked at the small fragile girl with annoyance

"How the bloody hell did I get stuck with this, this mudblood wolf," he snorted in distain. He decided on lifting her and taking her back to the castle, it wouldn't look good if he just left the girl to get attacked or better yet, eaten by the giant squid.

He mounted his broom and took off towards the other side of the lake and their school. They flew swiftly over the black lake with the squid looking up hopefully before sinking to the dark depths. He noticed a single head of red hair wandering just at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and heard her shout

"Hermione! Hermione! Where are you?"

It must be Weaselbe's sister

Thinking best to descend and hand his light baggage to the girl on the ground he came down and landed a few feet from where the tree was and the ginger haired girl.

"Weasely, I believe I have what you're looking for," he said monotonously before dismounting and hoisting Granger into an easier position to carry her.

"Hermione! Oh-!" she stopped short after seeing Draco holding her in such a delicate way, he looked haggard and tired "Why've you got her!" she asked getting angry at him

"I followed her last night," was his simple answer, it was the truth though and Ginny could see it in his eyes, she sighed and wandered over before looking at the red lines angrily

"She needs Pomfrey, now. Can you carry her?" she asked, more pleading with him with her eyes. Sighing in annoyance at the Gryffindor, he began to follow her silently, looking down occasionally at the girl in his arms. He had looked sceptically at the ginger as she picked up his broom and walked briskly in front of him occasionally turning her head to check he was following.

Poppy Pomfrey knew of Hermione's affliction and tsk'd her way around the room as the gaunt Hermione was placed onto the bed softly by Draco. He looked down at her and frowned slightly at how her skin was still a bright red and angry scratches weren't healing properly. Ginny thanked him but he didn't move he just stood looking on awkwardly. He didn't know why he'd stayed there but he did. He felt compelled now, he'd seen someone's deepest darkest secret and somehow it made him feel wanted.

The war had changed Draco Malfoy, after watching his father die, his mother tortured and watch as Death eaters killed without reason. This was not who he had ever wanted to be, he'd done it to save and try and keep his mother from danger, the threats made by his father had made him stay and follow. He'd never taken the dark mark though, he could thank his mother for that one; she had insisted that he never take the mark unless absolutely necessary.

After coming to the order and going through many exams and tests and giving up information on the Manor he was allowed to assist where he could on their war effort. It had not been his wish to take a single side but what has happened, happened. He'd witnessed things that a 16 year old should never have to see and things he'd never wanted to see. He'd been there also at the battle at Hogwarts, he'd see the inferi devour peoples bodies, seen death eaters storm the castle. There wasn't really any other plain as day way to put it. He was different. He cared now; cared about people he'd fought with. He'd seen these people in their best days, at their worst and at their deaths. He cared.

_'I could be the Alice,  
to your wonderland,  
and find where the beasts are lain,  
where was the dragon slain?_

_This could be our fairytale,  
we'll make them all disappear.'_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter, only the story.

* * *

The next two days Hermione spent in the medical wing, fading in and out of sleep and consciousness, usually when someone had walked in and close to her or a first year had been rushed in because of explosions in the potions lab. She could just make out what had happened on her second changing, it had been difficult to remember what she had done in fact.

Finally opening her eyes she could make out through squinted eyes the rays of morning sun sneaking through the windows as though to try and ambush her when she was down. Blinking again, she re-adjusted her eyes to the room around her, there was not a soul in the room and for a moment she panicked thinking something was wrong when the door to Pomfrey's office slowly creaked open to show the elder woman asleep in her chair.

Edging her way up the bed she sat up-right and looked down, there were very, very faint pink lines still showing on her body but faded enough to not be a problem. Looking around again she once again attempted to put her feet to the ground, with success she moved not so quickly across the room. Feeling compelled to look and watch the sun; she edged out the wing, feeling rebellious to an extent. She felt a rush as she moved quickly and with added silence to the left and up the stairs to the astronomy tower.

For two days, in the morning he'd sat here staring out at the wondrous oblivion of the forbidden forest and the sun rising over the black lake. His encounter with Granger had unhinged him slightly, he could still see her fragile and broken in his arms at the romp in the night through the forest. He had not seen her this way since the war, since the Order had found her again.

He could not understand what made him think so much about her, there was no way he felt close to her, but the need to protect her when he thought of other, later shifting between forms would happen. Protection was something you showed towards people you cared about, felt something for; and he definitely did not feel anything for her. She was just an enigma.

His legs hung over the edge of the tower dangling as though tempted to drop, the wind catching in his trouser legs creating a vacuum for which to get caught. In his lap he played with an enchanted paper snake on which was his own invention, it moved and sounded as a snake, hissing if moved awkwardly or to something of its dislike. He smiled down at it as it curled in his lap slowly as the light hit the side of his face, softly illuminating it in the glow.

The door creaked quietly behind him, breaking the quiet atmosphere and making him turn round suddenly, the outline of bushy hair and a small figure below it could be seen and he mentally groaned.

Hermione looked up

"Oh, I'm sorry, I hadn't realised someone was here" she said weakly, there was Draco Malfoy sitting along the edge of the astronomy tower and she had no wand, not to mention extremely wobbly legs after the hike up.

Sighing to himself he turned again "Come in Granger, I don't bite" he replied staring again at the slow rising sun "Much," came the after comment. The sound of bare shuffling feet told him that she had indeed come in and was making her way over to where he sat.

"It's beautiful" she whispered, mainly to herself before looking to her left and seeing Malfoy also staring to the lake and sun. "Thank you" she smiled at him meekly when he looked at her, there was no sneer across his face and he looked almost serene. Innocent was a word she would've like to have used but she knew he was far from it.

"I was curious Granger, that's it, nothing more nothing less" the infamous sneer across his face, marring it changing him from Gabriel to Lucifer in less than a few seconds. She frowned a little then decided to ignore him and look out across the grounds. The sun had now risen above the lake and was shining full force, as if trying to impose its playful nature on them.

"When?" came a voice that broke the silence "When did it happen?"

"Right there," was the reply, a hand pointing out to the area 100 feet from the edge of the Forest "I was alone and he was hungry"

The silence prevailed but now there was less tension within the air, it had not bothered her a bit that Malfoy had asked such a personal question, only irked her when he didn't mock or taunt her. There was a rustle of noise from Malfoy's lap and Hermione glanced over quickly, she caught sight of a small snake shaped piece of paper slithering across the floor towards her. It bumped into her thigh over and over as though demanding attention. The boy proceeded to rise and leave the tower in silence, leaving a confused Hermione and a determined paper snake.

Finally placing the snake on her lap, it suddenly exploded and burst open, displaying a message within.

_I'll be there next time...._

She frowned a little before realising this changed everything between them, and to the extent of which it did.

* * *

The next few days flew by as she dodged and ditched out the way of Malfoy, not only wanting to avoid him because of her muddled feelings but also simply because he didn't want to deal with the awkwardness. Advanced Potions, normal potions and defence against the dark arts were the only classes where she would have to see him and that was easily ridden by the fact Harry was in Defence against the dark arts and that they worked independently in both potions classes.

Soon the routine was kept up and she was able to relax a bit when she figured he'd gotten the message that she didn't want to see him. That was not what was on Draco Malfoy's agenda though.

It was late and there was an eerie silence that flowed around the castle, nothing that scared or shocked Hermione, there was nothing new about this silence of the library. It would be closing soon and she would have to retreat back to her dorm again, something always stopped her now from being around her fellow housemates after dinner. It was as though after dinner she was never quite satisfied with her meal, it wasn't enough for her insatiable appetite now. She'd begun to lose weight and it was going to show soon, she could only fathom how Ginny would react when she asked to her to tailor her skirt again. Hermione only assumed it was because of the lycanthropy, she'd seen Remus devour much food during the many dinners Molly had had them at, but still he remained fragile and weak looking.

Sighing she closed her book and let her head fall onto the books hard cover with a thump. She was so tired, tired of everything around her, every night she'd look out the window beside her bed and see the forest. It called to her, wanting her to feel free again. The work that the professors hadn't lightened much either and with Ginny pestering her at many moments about the Halloween Ball coming in a _month_, she hadn't the heart to tell her to leave her alone. Stretch and cracking her bones, Hermione stood from her desk and packed her books into her satchel and hoisted it over her back and slowly meandered out of the library, Madam Pinch was nowhere to be seen so she closed the door and heard it click with the automatic locking. Turning again she nearly jumped out her skin when she came face to chest with someone very tall. Looking up quickly through her fringe she saw the luminous face of Draco Malfoy.

"It's late" he commented looking at her sharply

"That I am well aware of Malfoy, now if you'll move" she replied curtly before side stepping him, he reached out and grabbed her wrist as she went past

"You've been avoiding me" came another short and rather annoyed comment

"That's the point. People tend to do that to other people that hate them, isn't that right Ferret?" this obviously stung because he loosened his grip on her wrist and dropped his arm slightly, she pulled her arm from his grasp and took a few steps before sighing "Go back to your house, get into your warm and expensive bed and forget what happened last week. You shouldn't have been there Malfoy"

She carried on walking as though nothing had happened between them, as though Malfoy was not there. Just because she was a werewolf and he'd seen her change doesn't mean that there was anything special between them, it simply meant that he knew her secret. She did hear one last thing before she turned the corner to the magic staircases

"It will never be the same"

She signed.

* * *

The next few weeks came and went with no problem, Hermione had attended dutifully the Quidditch practises of her house, and she did all her homework, studied for her exams. The only difference was that Draco Malfoy was staring, not just glancing but full on staring at her when they sat in class or at dinner, as though observing her habits. It worried her and scared her but was also quite exciting. Today was Saturday; the first Hogsmeade trip of the term and it was also the trip where Ginny went around dragging her into every shop they could get into for costumes. As she had said it was going to be the best Halloween ball because lavender and the Patils were organising it. Hermione withered at the thought of going to a ball designed by them.

"Come on! I want to go into this one" cried Ginny grappling at Hermione's wrist and dragging her with the force of 10 men into the second dress store. This one was if anything, better then the first by far and to humour her red headed friend, she searched for a dress.

For the majority of the day Ginny tried on dresses and Hermione hesitantly tried them on, careful and scared of showing the scars on her body, the silver lines sprinkled down her torso, war was a cruel thing to beauty. They were in their 5th shop when Hermione was pulling off the final dress before Ginny pushed another three into her cubicle.

"But-"

"Try the funny green looking one; it looked really good out here!"

"But-"

"Pleaseeee," whined Ginny, she looked down at the dress and felt it was too revealing but shrugged and began to undress and place the delicate dress over her body. It was an empire waist full length dress with green patterns, with splashes of more vibrant colours over it. The light material felt nice over her body and she sighed when looking down at the scar on the top of her breast.

"Come on! Let me see!" came the excited cry of Ginny from outside; obliging Hermione opened the door and stepped out barefoot into the shops open mirror area. There was a sharp gasp as Ginny looked at her "It's beautiful! You have to get it" she said smiling brightly before demanding that she twirl before her. As Hermione spun around smiling in the dress she noticed two other people standing at the side silent. Stopping to face them she made an 'o' shape with her mouth as she recognised them as Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy. Theo looked amused while Draco just stared, mouth slightly open. Ginny coughed and reached for Hermione's arm, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment she rushed back into the cubicle.

"Weaslette" said Draco when he realised he'd been staring

"Malfoy, Nott" came the reply from the red head "What're you doing here"

"I don't have to tell the like of you" came his sneer, wiping across his face, Theo stepped in to avoid a fight in the dress store

"The woman who owns this store, she used to work for my mother, I've known her for years" he commented before smiling at her nervously, backing down Ginny turned her back on them in time to notice Hermione rushing from the store. Following her friend out the store they went to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer and to chat about what they'll do.

"I was thinking you could transfigure your bag into a set of wings, the fake muggle ones for that dress you had tried on, it'd look so cute" pondered Ginny

"I didn't buy it though"

"We could always go back you know and get it, it's not too late, though after we'll have to go back to the castle" sighed Ginny mournfully, Hermione rose and told her she'd meet Ginny outside by the path up to the castle. She rushed back to the dress store and quickly enquired about the dress.

"I'm sorry but there was only that one dress and a young man purchased it a while back" the woman said sadly, sighing Hermione looked down before thanking the woman and walking out the store slowly. She suddenly had something shoved into her chest quite forcefully, coughing slightly she looked up and saw the steely grey eyes of Draco Malfoy

"Wear it" he demanded, she looked at him puzzled "It looked good" she half expected him to add a 'mudblood' to it but it never came. She smiled slightly before taking the bag from his hand and bowed her head

"Thank you Draco" she whispered before looking back up and seeing him walking away

"8 days," he called out over his shoulder, it took her a second to realise what he meant. He had been counting, which meant he hadn't been lying when he wrote he'd be there.

_Merlin help me...._

_

* * *

_**I'd appreciate any comments anyone has to make as to whether this is good or not. Thanks :)**_  
_


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF HARRYPOTTER.

* * *

Hermione smiled softly to herself when she fingered the dress material in her hand, it was soft and felt amazing on her skin, it was a good thing it looked good too. She was still thinking of what Draco Malfoy had said and how he'd bought it and given it to her. Sighing she looked down at the floor thinking about what he had _also_ said about 8 days. The ball was the same night of her next change, it made her annoyed and angry, it was supposed to be a night to enjoy herself, but no fate had to step in and destroy it.

She stepped out of her dorm early on Monday morning and made her way down to early breakfast around 7:30, the other students wouldn't be down for another hour and it gave her time to read and enjoy a large breakfast to fill her. There was a silence down the corridors as a few students, mainly first years, were up around the halls silently so not to wake the portraits. She meandered down from the tower to the Great Hall and found there were only a handful of students at the tables. She settled down at the far end of the Gryffindor with her bag of books and began to pick and choose her breakfast. By the end of choosing, it took up two and a half plates filled to the top, she looked at it disgustedly but knew that if she didn't eat this as a minimal she would be starving before lunch.

Soon more students trickled in and Hermione looked up from her book to eye the students coming to her table, there were no seventh years yet, only a few from Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Still she carried on her eating slowly but surely getting through 2 plates before Ginny finally thumped down in front of her, she peeked out one eye at her best friends plate

"Full yet?" she said grinning stupidly at the brunette, she saw Hermione shake her head before stabbing her fork down and hitting a sausage again "Merlin.." she trailed off "You'd probably beat Ron in a contest"

"Yea" came the zoned out answer from Hermione, there were three more thumps down on the benches around her. It was Harry, Ron and Neville joining them and looking just as tired as Ginny had, Neville eyed Hermione's plates wearily before turning a light shade of green.

Hermione was still zoned out from the conversation around her, although she was reading her book she thought about everything that had happened to her in the past few months.

After she had awoken in the ICU of St Mungo's she was alone and scared in a white room with only one door and no windows; on the walls were soft padded pieces of fabric cushions. The smell of disinfectant stung at her nose and the silence screamed in her ears, the white robe itched at her skin and the angry red line on her skin glared back at her.

A few moments later healers rushed in with their wands as though she were going to attack, instead she cried. _Wailed_ in sorrow for what had happened. There was no way to put it bluntly, she was scared and alone, just like that day.

Once they'd realised she was no danger, she was released from the hospital and taken back to Grimauld Place, people treated her as though she were fragile and she did not like it at all. After having many talks with Ginny she decided that she was going to learn to try to embrace the Lycanthropy. It was difficult but soon after researching thoroughly as Hermione Jane Granger does, she began to understand more about this affliction.

She began to greatly appreciate how much her friends did for her then on, being patient or kind when she was feeling down or was having trouble dealing with her problem.

"-ermione, Hermione!" came someone's voice in the distant reaches of outside her zone, she blinked a few seconds before looking up at Ginny who now was the only person across from her. She remembered that she'd told her about what Draco had said to her and she rememberd how her friend was thrilled and swooned over how romantic it was. Hermione then reminded her of the fact she was still a werewolf.

"Yea?" she enquired looking up from her book

"Are you okay?" asked Ginny

"Yea, I'm just a little tired and bit worn out" she returned smiling back at the red head, they both rose and walked out the Great Hall. Breathing a sigh of relief Hermione reminded herself that she only had to work until lunch, then she would have the rest of the afternoon off. Her arithmancy professor was at home away from Hogwarts, something about a relative being in St Mungos after a potion went wrong. She had to make it through three hours of potions with Slughorn to be able to be free for the afternoon. That would be easy enough since she had prepared for the potions lesson last week.

The lesson would've flown by without trouble if she just hadn't been placed next to Neville Longbottom, who sadly had blown the potion up again. She'd managed to duck and dive to avoid the spewing cauldron but sadly messed up her own bubbling – now spewing – cauldron. They'd both failed but luckily so did many of the other class. Hissing in frustration at the end of the disastrous lesson she picked up her books and stormed out from the lab and back to the tower, chucking her books on her bed she had the need to be free, to get out the stuffy castle. Grabbing her cloak, she could feel the eager feeling rising under her skin, the tickling feeling down her arms and legs as she thought of getting out, even to just the banks of the black lake. She smiled to herself as she walked quickly through the crowds of student's contra flow.

Finally bursting free form the swarms of students going through to the Great hall she slowly pattered down the hill towards the black lake and the tree she'd stood under before her last changing. The day was dry and gratefully the sun was shining down upon the castle, the giant squid could be seen reflecting under the sun, its dark wide eye looking up at the sky. She smiled as she sat down then flopped onto her back. This was so unlike her she thought to herself, but it was what she'd yearned for most of the day. She looked up at the bright blue sky, watching the clouds go by across its expanse. There was only the quiet din of students in the Great Hall that could be heard and the occasional splash of the giant squid's tentacles as it caught its underwater prey, in its battle for life.

"You didn't go to lunch" said a voice, sighing with her eyes closed she recognised the voice instantly; the person was sitting down next to her. Some part of her cheered but the other half just dreaded this whole afternoon now.

"Have you been watching me Mr Malfoy?" came the relaxed reply from Hermione.

* * *

Since she'd walked away from him in the corridor of the library, Draco Malfoy had been looking for a chance to speak with her again, she was enchanting him and he wasn't sure whether or not he liked that idea. It was as though he was drawn closer and closer to her, just because he had shared a secret with her.

It was strange how the human mind is formed, small connections are made in the brain that grow and develop and become strong. They may wither with age but are never broken. This was how he felt after witnessing something so grossly enchanting.

Did it make him a weird man because he'd witnessed a werewolf changing forms and felt as though he were now a part of it? Maybe, but that was not of much consequence to Draco. He was simply happy when she was around. The bookish, know-it-all muggleborn, who was now a teenage werewolf.

_Fate is unfortunate to many..._

Finally grabbing a chance to see her when he saw her rush from the castle after her lessons. He'd just come from a Quidditch practise with Slytherin and simply walked over from the grounds to the lake. He would not be made a fool out of this, he wanted to be a part of this. He cared.

He walked over quietly and saw her relaxing with her eyes closed, her hair fanned out around her head. The soft curls laying a wreck on the grass, as though having smashed open on impact. He enquired well more stated she hadn't been to lunch.

"Have you been watching me Mr Malfoy?"

His lips turned up in a small smile that she didn't see as her eyes were closed and smiling softly herself.

Had he been watching her? Or was it just a glance? Maybe an obsessive stare?

No. He'd been looking from the stance of an outside observer looking in upon their favourite muggle sitcom.

"Don't kid yourself" he snorted in distain, she frowned to herself

"I never do Malfoy" There was a pregnant pause between them and Hermione took this time to swing herself into an upright position, finally looking at the boy well rather the man next to her. He was dressed in his Quidditch robes still, sticking slightly with sweat to his lean shape. His legs were stretched out before him as he sat beside her, them reaching far further then hers and leaning back, resting on his elbows and looking out at the murky black lake.

Then it struck her what she'd wanted to ask him.

"Why are you here? Your different." She asked him and slightly demanded, once again there was the awkward pause, he turned his head slowly to look in her eyes

"War changes a man, especially one on the run from both sides" came his comment frowning slightly, Hermione smiled to herself before looking down at her lap. They sat in silence for what had seemed too long before she rolled onto her stomach and resting her head to the side and looked at him. The silence had turned amicable as the two enemies – no – two people lay there.

Was it wrong of her to enjoy the two of them lying there? Was it wrong? They weren't breaking rules, on the run or fighting, so therefore it should make it okay, right?

A light snore and something touching her hand shook her from her thoughts, looking over she saw Draco sleeping in the sun with one arm behind his head and the other had moved and was now touching her hand. She smiled at the sight, she could now use the word innocent for him. The sun shone down on his face, making his hair shine brighter and his skin glow more, it was almost heartbreaking to look on. She reached out hesitantly to move the hair from his face before snapping her hand back petrified he'd wake and find her doing such an affectionate action.

"Hermione!" came a shout from across the lawn, looking up she saw Ginny followed by Luna walking over to the two teens; she put her finger to her mouth in silence. Getting the message the two girls walked over as silent as possible. Looking up smiling, Hermione waved for them to sit down beside her. They eyed her hand in his and his precarious position that close to him, it looked suddenly as though a light bulb went off in Ginerva Weasely head and she grinned like a madman at her brunette friend.

"No" mouthed Hermione, before reaching out and grabbing the food from in front of Ginny and taking a chomp out the apple and chewing softly occasionally glancing at the sleeping manboy beside her. The three talked and talked until there was a soft tightening of the hand in Hermione's, she looked back at him to see his eyes open and watching the three girls chat.

"Afternoon" he said gruffly before sitting up and pulling his hand reluctantly from Hermione's "Loony, Weasely" he nodded at them "How long was I asleep?"

"About two hours," replied Hermione "Not too long" he nodded in reply, before sitting in silence taking the apple offered to him by Luna.

He sat in a surreal silence as the three banshee's carried on gossiping, well Loony and Weaselbee gossiping and Granger reprimanding them. It was peaceful and he couldn't feel anything other than amicable feelings in the group, he felt Hermione then move her hand to find his. It felt nice, her skin was soft.

That's how the four sat for the remainder of the afternoon until the sun was low in the sky and they got up and left to their respected houses. Hermione'd received a goodbye hand squeeze as well as waving bye to Luna and heading off to Gryffindor, with only one thing going through her mind.

_That was surreal... _

_

* * *

_**I really appreciate the reviews and any more comments about the story. I can shamefully admit that I didnt think people would like the story so I'm still working on the finer details of it so anything you want to say, I'd like it :) Thank you for reading.**_  
_


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING BUT THE STORYLINE

* * *

The next few days were weirdly uneventful, Draco had kept his distance and Hermione indulged herself within the depths of the library. This made her more content, it meant she could keep her head down and not have to worry about anything else.

There'd been a lot running through her head and there was only 3 days left of the 8. It was late and the sun had long gone from the sky, in its place was the moon and Hermione sat in the back of the library. Getting up she headed to her dorm quickly and rushed back out before anyone saw her. She was making her way –rather quickly – to the prefect's bathroom. She wasn't a prefect or Head Girl this year because McGonagall thought she'd struggle with the work load and her affliction.

She still felt as though she deserved to be allowed at least access to the bathroom, so she'd managed to persuade Harry to tell her where it was.

Slowly down before she got to the statue of Boris the Bewildered, she coughed and straightened herself out before saying confidently

"Pine Fresh"

The door creaked and slowly opened to reveal a large swimming pool shaped bath tub with many taps around the side.

She stepped inside quietly and slowly started to strip off and move to sit on the side of the bath tub, it was filling up fast and the bubbles were slowly coming up and popping but she just left her legs dangling in to rest of the seat underwater.

Blissfully unaware

-

He hadn't locked the door to the cubicle, he didn't think anyone would be in the bathroom this time of night. As Quidditch captain he was privileged enough to be allowed in, so he wondered out of the prefect who it was.

Peaking his head around the stall, his breath caught and eyes widened.

Sitting on the side of the tub, in her full glory was his favourite nightmare. Hermione Granger. Of course he couldn't see the front of her, but at an angle he could just make out her features through the fan of hair blocking her face. Her arms were resting on her lap and covering the front of the full breast. He stared at the beauty that was in front of him, the moon shone down through the glass mermaid and onto her skin, making her look ethereal and pure. This was marred when he saw silver lines over her shoulder and down her back, there were quite a few. He noticed that she hadn't moved an inch since he'd been looking out until suddenly she started shuddering and shaking, quiet sobs came from her mouth and she leaned even further forward as though in pain.

"I know you're there" he heard her call shakily

_Shit..._

* * *

She had heard him. To another person he'd have been so quiet, but she could even hear his breathing, the slow silent breaths. It sickened her slightly because of this, because she knew how she could hear him. He could see her, see her for all the ugliness that was there, this would we the reason he stops liking her or just stops being nice to her. She whimpered and couldn't help the tears that followed.

"I know you're there" she called, hearing his sigh then the door creak she knew he was behind her, but she made no action to move. Just turning and looking up at the mermaid

"Have you got enough ammunition now? Have seen enough? Does it make you want to call me a mudblood bitch?" she spat each word distastefully, most of all the last two. She didn't see the frown that marred his face for a few seconds before he crouched down behind her. She felt a light hand trace over the scars on her back and she shivered. No one had done that before, not even herself, she only looked disgustedly at them whenever she washed.

"Why would I need it?" came his paused reply. Shaking her head she pushed off the side away from him and swam away under the warm water, it felt warm against her cool skin and made her warm to the core. Coming up to take a breath she saw Malfoy had sat down on the ledge of the bath in his boxers and shirt, obviously having taken off his trousers. There was a small and almost invisible smile across his face.

"What?" she asked getting slowly annoyed

"Nothing"

"Are you staring for some reason?"

"Yes" she closed her mouth after that.

"Why?"

"Because –"

"Because what?"

"Your beautiful" again the mouth closed shut. For longer this time. Suddenly she let out a bitter laugh and dunked her head to wash the soap from it

"I'm about as beautiful as Filch in a tutu" she said angrily

"No you're not"

"Yes I am, you saw them and I know you want to ask your questions. So go on ask them" she pushed

"Fine." He paused "How could Potter and Weasely let you get this hurt? Where were they?"

"Where were you?" she replied

"Fighting"

"So were they" she answered curtly "War doesn't smile of the honourable, in fact it doesn't smile on anyone" he nodded his head as she floated off towards the other end of the tub "You must have a very twisted view of what's beautiful" she paused "I suppose you would if you had to look at Pansy Parkinson every day" she smiled to herself at the other end of the room

He only grunted at her before sitting down properly and took off his shoes and socks before rolling his trousers up and plonking his feet into the tub. It made him want to look at her more, see past the complexity of her facade.

"Why are you here?" she asked him in the deep silence

"I want to get to know you" these were words that she never thought she'd hear him utter

"And why's that?" she grimaced as she lifted up her arm out of the water and started to scrub it "What you see is what you get Malfoy" she sneered

"Draco"

"What?"

"Draco, my name is Draco, not Malfoy"

"And why would I call you that, we aren't friends"

"I've seen you naked twice"

There was a pause

"Fine. Hermione is mine" she looked up at him as she spoke. It was then that Hermione Granger sat in a bathtub getting to know Draco Malfoy, the boy she had hated for years as well as the only one to ever see her naked.

* * *

The sun rose the next morning over the black lake, and across the windows of Hogwarts as the students rose from their beds they missed the small figured running back up the lawn from the Quidditch pitch. Hermione had been up early and taking a morning jog around the pitch, it helped clear her mind of the whirlwind of things that were happening.

Slowing down as she reached the doors to the Great hall she stretched her arms above her head and sighed at the feeling before swinging her arms back down. She entered the hall and slowly wandered over to the Gryffindor table where there were –like usual- a few older years and some eager first years. She smiled to herself as she plopped down where she usually sat and carried on. There was a comforting feeling of normalcy in what she was doing and it felt nice. She filled her plates and began to ignore the students watching her, with their mouths agape and watching in awe.

-

He had seen her when she'd walked into the hall, she wore a pair of loose pants – trackies is what the muggles called them – and a tight navy blue top, it helped accentuate the body she'd grown into. He smiled when he watched her pile her plate up but frowned once he saw Potter and the two Weaselys sit next to her, his view blocked now. It didn't help that at that exact moment Pansy Parkinsoncame screeching up to him.

"Drakey-poo!" she screeched at him "Drakey, why've you been ignoring me?" she pouted at him in a way that made him think that she was a huge fish and should be in the lake with the squid. He tried to shake off her snake like hands.

"Get off my Pansy" he grunted at her, he looked up again and caught Hermione's eye before smiling. Pansy caught this and saw red.

"It's her" she screeched louder "You've been ignoring me for that filthy, disgusting, slutty mudblood" she stood up from the table before marching towards the Gryffindor table.

-

Hermione had seen and heard her coming so she turned towards the girl marching over to her with her face beat red. Hermione stood to face the girl as she kept screeching towards her. The whole hall was watching, it was now busier and people were being nosey as always.

"You slut!" she shrieked pointing at Hermione

"Look at yourself Parkinson, I am no slut" replied Hermione bluntly

"I saw you last night, ripping your clothes off trying to seduce Drakey in the bathroom!" she said looking at her

"Have a nice look did you?" replied Hermione, Ron and Harry stood up but Hermione waved them down.

"You're nothing but a filthy, disgusting mudblood bitch, he would never care about you, ever!" she screeched louder than a banshee. Hermione grimaced at the sound, slowly losing her temper.

"You're the filthy slut here Parkinson, you'd spread your legs for any guy who offered you the slightest bit of attention. You throw yourself all over _Draco_ expecting nothing but a cheap fuck" she said emphasising his name "and you expect people to respect you, you're nothing but a disgusting tramp"

There was a resounding slap that filled the silent air. Hermione's head was turned and her hair covering her face. From her lips tore a strained laugh as though in pain but trying to hide it. Pansy slowly backed away from the stricken girl, Hermione was twitching ever so slightly before looking back up, her eyes black and she was straining and stretching her neck as though restraining something inside.

"That was not a clever move Parkinson" she barked back at the girl, Harry and Ron had already stood to restrain their friend but she had already started towards the Parkinson girl.

-

Inside was turmoil for Hermione, after the slap, the rage was building and bubbling quickly. She couldn't hold the feeling of it within anymore. She was sick and tired of being put down for her blood type, she was tired of being made fun of and she was not going to stand for some dirty tramp of a pureblood having a go at her.

She noticed Harry and Ron stand up and approach her, no doubt to restrain her but she moved away from them. It was time this girl got what was coming for her. She charged.

-

Pansy shrieked at the charging girl coming towards her, having already backed up to the Slytherin table, she tried to get protection from her Housemates but the hall was trying to move back itself.

"Hermione!" shouted a deep voice at the girl, everyone turned to watch as Draco Malfoy stepped out infront of the charging girl. She stopped and looked back at him

"Move it Draco" she sneered, her eyes still black as the black lake

"Control it," came his reply, he could see her straining against the beastly feeling within, her neck was straining and she was pulling and swaying to each side as though trying to get control of an invisible power. Her breath was coming out in, deep pants and she was standing hunched now. It seemed to be working, but Draco thought too soon.

Pansy had pulled out her wand and being quite ignorant had fired a spell at Hermione, forgetting that werewolves are immune to magic. Instead it felt like being tickled to her, this only ignited the rage again at having it fired at her. The panting was louder and Hermione looked up and charged for a second time at the pureblooded girl.

Before she had a chance to get too far, she felt a hard thud on the back of her head and crashed to the floor. She rolled onto her back on the floor, looking blearily up to see the fast approaching faces of Hagrid and Professor McGonagall. Blinking slowly she looked back up and in the fading light murmured "I'm sorry"

* * *

_**Please review, I know it's only short but I've been revising for re-sits later this week and I'll try and update. If you'd like something specific to happen in the story, just tell me and I'll be more then happy to do it :) Thank you**_


	7. Chapter 7

"-You threw a bloody goblet at her head! You git!" said one voice

"Magic doesn't work on her!"

"Still?! A goblet?!" said the first voice

Hermione's vision was hazy as she looked up at the people around her. They still came out as black figures but she blinked and groaned, catching the attention of the people around her, she noticed Ron, Harry and Ginny standing arguing while out of the corner of her eye sat a very quiet Slytherin sat with his eyes closed.

"'Mione!" cried Ron hearing the groan and hugging her

"Ow" she mumbled

"Sorry"

"Did what I think happen, happen?" she muttered looking up at them, Ginny nodded her head slowly

"You should have seen Parkinson's face when you went after her though, it was bloody hilarious" beamed Ron back at Hermione, she didn't look impressed. It was then that there was a loud sound of the imfirmary doors opening and the sharp clicking of heels coming towards the bed. Around the corner of the screen came the stoic face of McGonagall, looking also less then impressed.

"Miss Granger" she said "I am glad you are awake, Mr Weasley hit you quite hard on the head during breakfast" she looked grim for a second before returning to look at Hermione. "I am very disappointed in you Miss Granger. You did not take the right potion last night to restrain these....tendencies, you will have to take a double dose until Saturday night" she continued "I do hope this does not happen again. Now off to dinner everyone else" the other three groaned and Draco was silent still.

Everyone sais their goodbyes and went out of the infirmary to dinner whilest Draco continued in his fake snooze. Until the door finally closed before his heavy eyes opened and showed concern all over his eyes.

"Thank you," said Hermione smiling slightly at him, he nodded his dead before stretching his long arms above his head and standing up with a exhalation of breath. He slowly moved over to stand next to her bed, she just lay there looking up

"Was it really that bad?" she asked, turning her head a little bit to look at him

"No" he paused "Maybe a bit"

"Oh"

He looked at her and she seemed so lost and sad that he had the most absurd urge to reach out and give her a tight hug. He refrained.

They sat together for the rest of the evening before Madame Pomfrey shoo'd him out of the room saying Hermione needed her rest. Waving bye to the girl before he walked out, pondering the reaction of his housemates.

* * *

Hermione spent the night lying awake staring at the ceiling of the infirmary. It was unusual for her to feel this confused.

Do I like him?

No.

He's been there for me for a while though

That doesn't matter, what about the last 6 years?

I'll give him a chance.

...you'll only get you're self hurt.

She blinked up at the ceiling once more before closing her eyes and she was granted a few sparse hours of sleep before Madame Pomfrey let her go back to her dorm.

* * *

It was the day of the ball and the sixth and seventh years were buzzing with excitement about it. There was going to be music, food, dancing and probably spiked pumpkin juice. Everyone was getting last minute things from Hogsmeade and Hermione had politely declined the offer to go with Harry, Ron and Ginny with the excuse that she had to catch up with work, that was only half true, she was catching up on Ancient Runes but the other half was just not up to it. The clock stuck 12 in the common room and Hermione stood up stretching her arms above her head and yawning loudly,

"Time for lunch me thinks" she said smiling to herself, she pulled on her shoes and prepared to go down to the kitchens to get some food and bring it back up. She could hear her stomach making roaring sounds of hunger, patting her belly she made for the exit.

The portrait opened for her and she jumped a little when she noticed someone sitting on the stairs next to the portrait hole. It was Draco Malfoy, reclining on the step with his cloak lying next to it and in his hand was a small black book that he was scribbling in. He looked out the corner of his eyes and saw her jump and look at him.

"Hello" he said finally moving to look at her

"Hi" she said awkwardly back

"Would you like to get some lunch with me?" he asked her so sincerely that she felt bad for almost declining. She nodded and he stood grabbing his cloak in the same time, Hermione couldn't help admire his body and way his shirt sat on him as well as envy his grace. She was never as blessed.

They walked down to the Great hall in silence, probably because Hermione didn't know what to expect. They arrivbed and there was surprisingly virtually no students sitting within the room, but those that were, looked up and stared at the two students walking in. They took at seat in the middle of the Gryffindor table which was partically filled with food and started to fill their plates.

"Do you really eat that much?" asked Draco raising a delicate eyebrow at her

"Yup" came her replay as she piled on an extra helping of beef "I'm basically eating for two in a way, if I don't eat enough then I get starving within a few hours and trust me, you dont want to see me craving more food"

"But there's nothing but meat on your plate, with the exception of a banana"

"And?"

"And its not healthy enough?" retorted Draco who was starting to feel as though maybe thinking about pursuing a werewolf would be harder then he'd ever thought

"Healthy went out the window when this afflication came" she snorted before picking up her fork and diving into her food. Draco looked a bit longer before shrugging and eating his food.

The silence was broken after a few minutes

"Who're you going with tonight?" asked Draco, Hermione paused still hunched slightly over her plate

"I'm flying solo tonight, who'd want to go with the wolf girl?" she sneered back to the boy who looked slightly shocked "You?"

"Don't know, I never asked anyone"

Nodding her head she carried on with her food. The rest was spent in an amicable silence as Draco observed and Hermione ate.

"Tonight I change again," she commented before she reached for another helping of chicken "Thats why I'm eating more then necessary today, I do usually eat vegetables but in the long run, do dogs or wolves eat vegetables and fruit?" Draco sat in silence across from her in silence still as she continued "No? Didn't think so. It gives me more energy and I won't eat anything gross later" she scrunched up her face with disgust remembering something "During my first change, Ron said I ate a few squirrels. I was sick for the rest of the day and coughing up fur"

Draco chuckled at this and looked up at her. Hermione hadn't noticed that he was actually sitting with that black book and a pencil in his hand again, scribbling. Resisting the urge to rip it from his hands and read it, but she pushed that down as more students had started to file through the doors, coming back from Hogsmeade.

"I should go," said Draco standing and moving to go away "I'll see you tonight," he smiled at her "Bring something warm with you"

"Wha-?" she started to ask but he had already disappeared from the hall with his long strides.

"HERMIONE!" cried a voice coming closer, it was Ginny rushing over and reaching for Hermione's hand "Time to get ready!" she cried again

"But it doesn't start for another 4 hours!" whined Hermione still attempting to eat her food remains

"I don't care! Come on!" she squealed, grabbing Hermione's other arm and yanking her and out the hall. She started laughing as she was pulled away by her best friend, she caught the look of Draco who had been stopped outside the hall by some Slytherins voicing their opinions at him, and he smiled at her before she was around the corner.

* * *

Ginny was ruthless. She tugged, yanked, plucked, pulled and poked at Hermione, as she did her hair and make up for the ball. It was her, Ginny, the Patils, Lavender and Luna in one of the girls dorms getting ready.

She did do her job well, Hermione was really happy with her hair as it was no longer untameable, the beast had been tamed. It sat in curls coming down her back with a few flowers attached in her hair. It was a shame that by the end of the night that it won't be like that. The other girls were working on their own hair and makeup when Hermione decided to get herself busy with making the wings that will be on her back. She moved to the other side of the room and slipped the dress onto her body, it fit as perfectly as in the shop. She still grimaced a bit at the scars that were suddenly on show, but considering that all the girls in the room had fought in the war, they already knew. She picked up the bag that she was going to transfigure into wings sat on the floor in front of her. She concentrated hard on what she wanted them to look like and cast the spell.

They had transfigured into a large set of thin green wings, look and feeling real which meant they looked more delicate then they actually were. She carefully picked them up and moved to get Ginny to help her attach them.

"They look so delicate!" she said shocked at how they had turned out,

"I know but I need you to do a sticky charm and then a glamour to make they look real" replied Hermione before sitting at the edge of the bed.

It was xiz o'clock exactly when the boys were waiting in the common room of the tower waiting for the girls

"Come on!" whined Ron loudly, he had luckily managed to put together an outfit of something that looked vaguely like a scarecrow out of a muggle scary movie. The ones that kills the muggles, he had made sure to point that out when applying red paint to his hands. The door finally opened to the girls dorms and slowly the girls came out, Hermione last as she was still worried the wings would come off and hugging a bag to the front of her. After hugging and cheering and complements from the boys, the whole group started to descend into the festivities.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was nervous, of course he was nervous tonight, though it was doubtful that he'd say it to anyone. He was a Malfoy. He held in his pocket something he'd worked on when he was alone and was not being pestered by Pansy Parkinson. Would she like it?

He was standing looking gormless amongst a group of Slytherins inside the hall and he could feel his brain cells slowly dying. Being suffocated by unintellectual conversation.

The door to the Great Hall opened and in walked a group of Gryffindors, sadly it was potty's friends but after searching the group he couldn't spy Hermione until a few moments later she came around the corner dressed as the most breath taking creature he'd seen. It was the dress he'd bought her which seemed to fit her even more so then before, her hair was put in soft curls flowing down her back and across her face were matching green sparkling glitter. What did surprise him was the delicate and real wings attached to her back which twitched and moved as she walked, not really walked, more floated. Was she floating?

Pansy had caught him staring at her and grabbed his arm and humph'd at him. She was wearing –not really wearing- the skimpiest thing in the world, there was not much to the tight dress and everything else was barely covered.

* * *

She had seen him across the hall when she entered. She had to admit, the twins had done a good job at decorating and setting up, it felt like stepping into Halloween Town with Jack Skellington. Draco was still looking at her but she moved forward with the bag still in her hand, she was going to leave it by the table before sitting down and planning to stay there for the next while.

* * *

The dance was in full swing as Hermione started to sip her third cup of spiked pumpkin juice when a slow song came on and a large body plopped into the seat next to her.

"It's gross isn't it? All those couples" he whispered in her ear, she could feel him smiling

"It's sick" she replied smiling too and giggling a little. He stood up and faced her. She got a good look at his costume for the first time. Draco was dressed as a French legionairre, medals and everything. He looked as though he had stepped out of a movie and into real life. He bowed down in from of her and offered a hand

"Would you care to dance with me Madame?" he asked looking at her smiling

For a moment she paused and nodded

"I believe I will good sir" she replied giggling and standing up as he grabbed her hand and lead her to the floor. There were so many eyes on them, but none dared to say anything to them. Draco drew her near him as they started to dance, Hermione's wings started to flutter a little more as they danced and Draco could not help admiring her even more. They moved slowly and circled round a bit more as the music continued and they got lost in their own little world.

They danced to several more songs before breaking up and moving back to her table to sit down. Once seated, Draco moved his hand to reach into his pocket and while Hermione was not looking he unfolded her gift and placed it on her hands. She jumped slightly and looked down

"What is this?" she asked looking at what appeared to be a crumpled bit of paper

"It's a gift, just watch" and so she did. He clicked his fingers and the paper lump jumped up and unfolded itself more. It had unfolded into a tiny paper lion, with a mane and a tail. It started to jump and walk around Hermione's hands. She watched on captivated before moving one hand to touch it, it's small paper head moved and looked at the hand before letting her touch it. She smiled softly, before there was another click and it crumbled again, she looked up a bit sad this time

"It's enchanted to act like a tiny lion, when you click your fingers the enchantment is activated, just like you saw" he explained, she looked back down and smiled back up at him

"Thank you Draco, its lovely" she said before looking down with a slight blush on her cheeks, she paused a minute before moving and quickly kissing his cheek before turning back again, this time a beetroot shade. He chuckled a bit at her before clicking his fingers and her lion jumped up. That was how they sat for the rest of the evening, talking animatedly and playing with the paper lion. Unbeknownst to them the rest of the Hogwarts students watching on as though it were Armageddon.

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_**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. But please more! I like hearing feedback. So unless I've seriously done something good and no one has any opinions on it then please review. Oh...and ENJOY THE STORY :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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It didn't take long for the happy feeling to die away, it was reaching later and later in the night when she had to slip away. Hell had broken loose shortly after Draco had given her the lion, Ron came storming over and had tried to start a fight with Draco. Suffice to say, Ron had lost and Draco and slithered off somewhere in the crowd. Hermione's was surprised at how sad she was at this, this was not normal she reminded herself.

"Was he pestering you? What did he say?" demanded Ron, his freckled face red with anger. He glanced down and noticed the paper in her hands "What's that?"

"It's nothing Ronald, and I can take care of myself" there was a pause as she almost slipped out a 'Draco' "Malfoy was being civil!"

Ron snorted at this and sat down in a huff next to Hermione. They were soon joined by Ginny and Harry, she enjoyed just sitting and chatting with them but a small part of her missed her conversations with Malfoy –_ Draco_.

Time ticked by and Hermione realised she had to slip away now otherwise it could be a bit dangerous, she reached under the table where she was sitting and grabbed her bag. Ginny glanced over at her from the dance floor with Harry and nodded at Hermione. Ignoring this she slid out of the Great Hall and made her way towards the Forbidden Forest, she looked at it looming in front of her. She'd never taken the time to just look at it and accept that yea, it was very scary in the dark to look out of and strangely there was an ominous fog that hung low in the trees.

Sighing she continued forward into the darkness until she reached far enough from the tree line that she could no longer see Hogwarts. Looking in the darkness, she managed to make out a clearing no far away from her; she went forward into the trees into the clearing. On the outskirts of the small clearing she dropped her bag and started digging through it for the Wolfsbane potion that had been given to her. Finding the small bottle she sniffed it and couldn't help but cringe at the smell. She should have known that wizards hadn't realised the benefits of nicer smelling potions. Opening her mouth and downing the bottle she shivered at the taste as well.

_Bleh_

The next step was looking at her small pocket watch and checking the time

'11:45...15 minutes'

She had enough time to get changed out of her clothes into her underwear. God she hated this bit, it was like throwing meat to the lions, just standing in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest in her underwear.

'At least my dress won't get ruined' she thought sadly,

She slowing started to take off the delicate wings on her back and started sliding the dress off of her body.

'Merlin! Is she getting naked?...'

Draco had left the ball earlier and was promised he had been in the Forbidden forest when he said he would be, just a little hidden this time. Pansy had bugged him so much after he had made the escape from Weasley just because he'd danced with Hermione. He couldn't understand why he had agreed to do this, why was he here?

He felt guilty. He had seen the attack and had frozen. He hadn't intervened or helped when he'd seen her being attacked. This was his penitence for what he had not done.

He was still looking down at her, he knew that she knew that he was there but it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. Her skin glowed in the light of the clearing and he watched nearly gagging when he saw her scream and crouch down on the floor as her skin started to rip. The entire ordeal only took a few minutes to complete before she was completely changed, this had once scared him but this time he just looked on in fascination. She sniffed around the ground and howled before turning and running off.

He took this as his chance to dive to the ground and grab the bag that had been left on the ground before whizzing after her through the forest, and so that game of follow the leader began again.

She ran and ran as far as she could through the forest, memorizing every tree and detail, the more she transformed the more she knew how to control herself and retain her own mind instead of losing it completely. There was something wrong tonight, there was a different smell in the air, she couldn't place it. She knew it wasn't Draco that she could hear was following her high above. This smell and feeling was one that was putting chills down her spine and she did NOT like that at all. She followed the smell around the forest trying to figure out what it was but she could only tell that it was a familiar scent.

Finally stopping after a couple of hours to just rest and try and wait out the rest of the night before she changed back. On her way back towards the edge of the Forest she caught a glimpse of something out the corner of her eyes. She halted quickly and turned her head.

In the distance she saw something standing on its back legs and howling, she then could smell it. It was another werewolf. A rogue one.

'Shit!'

She knew that as soon as she left the treeline of the Forest she'd be safe, no creature was brave enough to set foot in Hogwarts ground, it was safe for her. She was frozen though, the creature was looking at her with red eyes and its teeth bared. She suddenly heard a shout from above

"Run! Now!"

It was Draco, he'd seen it too. Hermione didn't need to be told twice and started running for the tree line. Not ever having been athletically inclined this was going to be a challenge getting away as fast as possible. Hermione ran as fast as she could, jump over anything in her path but she could still hear the snarling and snapping of twigs and branches behind her. It was still there.

The tree line was in sight when she heard it jump; the beast caught her back legs and tripped her. The pain hit her as she felt its claws rip into her legs as she skidded forward on the ground. Panicking she twisted her body to lash out and push the offending creature off of her. She hit the mark and got it directly in the face, she heard it whimper but instead of looking or feeling bad she got up and tried to hobble herself out of the Forest, it recovered quickly and started following her again.

_Not good. Really not good._

She turned to face it this time directly, she had never fought another werewolf before but she was certain it was done the way she was gonna do it. Standing up on her bleeding back legs and howling loudly she lunged forward at it whilst it was running at her. It felt right to her and this took her by surprise. She managed to strike it down to the ground before swiping her paw against its head to scratch it deeply. Feeling satisfied she got back up and ignoring the pain she sprinted back to the tree line and broke free in time to see Hagrid standing next to McGonagall and Draco.

_Opppps_

* * *

_Light, too much light..._

Blinking her eyes, there was too much light coming through her eyelids. The second thing she thought of was how sore her legs were and how stiff they were as well. Opening her eyes a little wider she realised that she was in the hospital wing.

_What happened?_

After looking around the ceiling of the hospital wing, she tried to wrack her brain to think of what had happened. What she could remember was another werewolf and then seeing McGonagall looking less than impressed. Sighing to herself she tried not to think of the lecture which she was sure to get when everyone knew she was awake. Deciding that it was possibly too early for everyone to be awake, she decided to analyze everything that happened last night.

There was another werewolf out there, well of course there was another one, she wasn't the only one out there in the world, but there was another one on Hogwarts ground! She felt a peculiar sense of wonder as to who the other one was. She started to frown at the thought that it had attacked her, she wonder why it had done that. She opened her eyes again and slowly started to sit up, wincing slightly as the pain in her legs returned. Flinging the blanket off of her legs she stared at the bandages wrapped around her legs. She lightly touched her legs and gasped at the pain that zapped up her legs.

"Ah Miss Granger!" called the soft sound of Madame Pomfrey, this shocked Hermione out of staring at her legs. Her head shot up and stared at the woman "Do you need more pain potion?"

"N-no it's okay, what happened?"

"I think I should let Professor McGonagall know that you're awake and let her explain" she said smiling softly at Hermione, she nodded and watched as the nurse walked back to her office. 10 minutes later the doors opened to the Hospital wing and in strode the shrewd looking Professor with a frown on her face.

"Good you're awake Miss Granger," she said looking down at Hermione with a frown on her face

"Hello Professor"

"I'm assuming you'd like to know what happened last night," Hermione bowed her head down and looked ashamed "You were lucky, if it weren't for Mr Malfoy something a lot more serious could have happened!" McGonagall said, her voice rising slightly. Hermione's face started to burn in embarrassment for what had happened. "It appears we have another werewolf on the grounds, did you see any more?"

"N-no, I couldn't tell if there was anymore"

"Right well, I shall send Hagrid to look into it" she said, her mouth closing tightly and looking down at the girl in the Hospital bed.

"Uhm Professor, why are my legs still bandaged up?" asked Hermione tentatively, glancing down at her legs

"I know you are aware Miss Granger that magic is ineffective on werewolves, and therefore unfortunately that magical healing is also ineffective. Madame Pomfrey has started treating you using Muggle methods" she explained slowly to Hermione.

The conversation remained the same, until Madame Pomfrey decided that it was time for her to rest and McGonagall left her alone. All she had to do now was just wait for Harry, Ron and Ginny to come save her from the boredom of her mind. It didn't take long for the group to come and find her in the hospital wing; she could hear them before they came through the door.

"Hermione!"


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or its Characters only the plot

_I realised that I've been writing this story and it's not compliant with the last book so I've decided to disregard that book, I saw the movie recently and yea, so just go with the story. This chapter looks more at how Hermione is feeling now that she's trying to accept what's happened to her._

**_Please enjoy and comment on anything that can be improved._**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

There was something unsettling about knowing that there was another one of her out in the forest, it made Hermione want to just avoid going outside and anywhere near the Forbidden Forest, it was as though something was lurking out there and it was something that didn't want her in there either. She had looked into the eyes of herself by looking at the other wolf, she saw her reflection in the face of the other wolf and it made her angry thinking about it.

Angry at herself for being vulnerable

Angry at the bastard who had made her this way

And angry at the world because it was this world that had put in this position to begin with

It was as though being put through hell in the last six years fighting a dark wizard and his army wasn't enough suffering and now it was as though the world had turned all its hatred at her and decided she had not suffered enough. Lupin had warned her that she should not let this stop her from achieving her goals in life and that she could find happiness in her life. For her though the light that kept her out of the darkness was starting to fade and the darkness was starting to engulf her as it had done to so many others.

She pondered this many times as she sat looking out at the Castle grounds from her bedroom window in the tower. It was slowly approaching Christmas time and she had decided to stay at Hogwarts this year. She still hadn't returned the memories of herself to her parents; she didn't have the heart to after she was bitten. It would be unfair of her to bring back their memories of a daughter that just wasn't there anymore, instead they'd have been handed a monster.

Hermione sighed as she looked out the window and the snow was starting to fall, it was early this year but that didn't seem to cheer her up anymore. It was a weekend and she could see some of the first years playing out in the snow, making snow angels and snowmen. It made her irritated because doing that was something she used to enjoy doing at this time of year. She couldn't be angry at the children playing outside though because they may have been spared the horrors of war because of their age but she unfortunately wasn't. She and so many others had sacrificed their younger years to aid a war that had existed before they were born. The outside of the world may have still looked the same but the scars were still there, some of her fellow seventh years bore the scars outside and some inside but whether or not they were visible didn't mean that they weren't still there.

Getting up slowly she crossed the room and entered the common room, there was no one inside the room but the fire was lit and the room was warm. This was her home and she thought of the future and how she would be thrust into the outside world alone and with her affliction. The wizarding world was saved from blood prejudice but the hatred for lycans was still rife, they were deemed unsafe and volatile. This was something she'd dread in the adult world.

As if it wasn't unfair enough to have grown up bullied because of her appearance and intelligence as a child but then to be bullied because of her blood status as a muggleborn. She'd won her freedom from these prejudices only to be slapped with another one, the world just seemed unfair to her.

She grabbed her book off the table in the common room then adjusted her school scarf and wandered through the castle to the outside world. The sun glared down on her as she stepped out into the courtyard and she had to blink a few times to adjust to the snow reflecting the sun. She wandered further and found somewhere to sit away from the castle and the children playing in the snow. The weather was cold outside but not freezing and Hermione decided she preferred this type of weather to the warmth of the summer; it made her feel warmer inside.

"Hermione!"

She looked up to see Ginny approaching wrapped up warmly in her winter coat and scarf, her smile could be seen through the gap in the buttons of her coat and she trotted quickly over to her friend.

"I was looking for you!" she said glancing down at the book in Hermione's hands "I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to the Burrow for Christmas?"

"I've decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas" came her blank reply, Ginny looked a bit down after this statement but decided not to push the subject "I would just like to be alone this year, I need some time to think things through" she added with a smile

"Okay, but you know you're welcome anytime" Ginny plonked herself down next to Hermione and looked over again at the book and squinting "Are you still researching?"

"No, just a bit of light reading" she said holding up a brick sized book

"That's not light reading, light reading is reading a romance novel where a hot guy whisks the girl away" sighed Ginny before giggling, Hermione smiled at her friend and shook her head before joining in the giggling. It felt good to just smile and laugh about something that wasn't related to school "I hear Malfoy's been asking about you"

Hermione's head shot up from the book and looked at her friend as she talked "What?"

"Yea he was asking, well cornered Luna the other day and was asking how you were. It seems he is interested in you and it wasn't just coincidence that he just _happened_ to be around you when you changed" Hermione knew that Ginny wasn't aware of the fact that Malfoy had been with her when she had changed this term.

"Oh" was all Hermione could get out, she felt her face getting hotter with every second

"Mind you, I wouldn't mind Malfoy being interested in me. The war may have been cruel to him but Quidditch hasn't" she said winking at her blushing friend

"Ginny! You have Harry!"

"Yes, yes I know and if I wasn't madly in love with him I'd certainly be looking in Malfoys direction" said Ginny before giggling even more at Hermione's red face "If you go any redder your head might explode" she finally commented once her laughing had stopped

"The attentions of a boy is not what I need right now anyway, I have N.E.W.T.S and this, this afflication to worry about before boys" she exclaimed flinging her hands in the air, Ginny sighed and closed her eyes

"Hermione, you need to find some sort of peace in your life about this, you can't keep living as though everything in the world is out to get you!" said Ginny finally looking towards the castle. Hermione had felt that it was moments like these that she was glad Ginny was her friend, there was a small voice in her head just screamed at her about the unfairness of the world. The anger inside her was starting to boil and brew again. Hermione knew that Ginny was right and that she needed to find some peace in her life, but looking at her friend and thinking about what she said felt like she was rubbing salt in an open wound.

"Why should I? Why should I have to deal with this! What have I done to deserve this, this, this shit!" she said slamming her book shut, she started to feel her blood pressure increase and the anger was making her shake slightly "I gave up my life for this world and look at how it repays me, I am a monster and no one gives two shits about what I have done for this world, they just look at me in disgust now!" she shouted as she stood up, Ginny looked frightened but shook her head and reached out to her friend

"Hermio-"

"No! Do not touch me, you cannot even look at me when I change, not you, not Harry, not Ron. I gave my life for a world I wasn't even born into and this is how it repays me!" she screamed before turning and running off towards the Quidditch pitch. She could hear Ginny calling out behind her but she knew that Ginny couldn't catch up with her. She just snarled to herself and continued running, she reached the Quidditch pitch but continued to the farthest side of the grounds. When she finally stopped she could see Hogsmeade in the far off distance and the Quidditch pitches behind her, she bent over slightly and breathed deeply. She then proceeded to flop onto her back and look up at the sky, she could hear the sounds of students far away from her, the faint sounds of screaming and laughing. She closed her eyes and felt as the snow soaked into her clothes and she shivered a little at the cold.

She felt bad of shouting at Ginny, she knew that she shouldn't have but at the same time part of her was so angry with her and her words, true though they may have been they did hurt. Hermione continued to lie in the snow as the sky seemed to get darker and snowflakes dropped from the sky onto her.

"Maybe if I lie here long enough then I'll just disappear..."she said aloud to herself before trailing off.

* * *

The sun had set by the time Hermione started to make her way to the castle; she slowly walked through the snow, her hair a bit damp and covered in snowflakes. Her book was now wet from the snow but she knew that a drying spell would fix that quite quickly. It was then as she made her way to the courtyard that she noticed Draco Malfoy sitting on one of the archways wall watching her. She turned her head back as she heard him jump down and start walking behind her

"Hermione" he called quite loudly

"What is it Malfoy?" she said stopping and sighing

"Your wet"

"And?"

"Why?"

"Is it any of your concern? No." She said sharply before turning to look at him, he was dressed in a cloak but she had seen something that resembled black trousers and a jumper underneath when he'd been sitting down. She craned her neck to look up at him, his hair drooping over his eyes slightly as he looked down at her.

"It is my concern,"

"And why is that? Because I'm the poor little mudblood wolf who is a threat to everyone" she replied harshly before turning around "I don't need anyone's pity anymore"

"It's my concern because I can see the hatred in your eyes at the moment and I know that it's that kind of hatred that can engulf someone and turn them into something far more hideous then you can ever be." Came his reply, his voice was rough as he looked down at the slither of a girl.

He couldn't wrap his head around why she would think he pitied her, he had seen the result of someone's hatred like hers at this moment in time and he did not want to see this once glorious young woman fall from grace. Sure when he was younger he'd have given anything to get her off of her moral high horse but now, he felt like he wanted to try his hardest to get her back up onto that horse. She was glaring at him and he just looked back blankly, she turned to walk away but he grabbed her wrist tightly and yanked her back. He pulled her close before whispering in her ear

"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated." With that he let her go as she just stood there blankly looking at him before he stepped around her and continued on into the castle.

'_What is it with everyone being all like wise old people today...'_

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_Thanks for reading :)_

_I'm also in the process of looking for a Beta Reader for this story if anyone is interested?  
_


	10. Authors Note

_Hey_ anyone who's reading this,

I was just wondering whether or not I should continue writing this, I don't know if anyone really likes it to be honest.

I know the story lines a bit different from the Veela and vampire ones etc but I thought it would be good to do something different, so yea, should I just end it?

If I do continue it, the next chapter should be up soon.

Ez

x


	11. Chapter 10

Hello! I know I said I'd update earlier but I've just come back from holiday and I have jet lag...yaay so I've been busy and sleeping lots. Thank you to the reviewers it was really appreciated. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 10

Draco's day started out just fine, he'd woken up, had a shower and gone off to breakfast before his lessons. It was the last week leading up to the Christmas holidays. He was off home to help his mother with the repairs and clearing of the manor. He could hear Pansy calling his name in the common room and he made a dash for the exit and stumbled out into the hall. Merlin forbid he'd have to deal with that witch before breakfast. Making his way quietly through the castle to the Great Hall he saw small clusters of students around the Great Hall, it was still early so he assumed that the lack of students in the hall was because of the early hour. Draco liked waking up early, it made him feel like he wasn't wasting a day away, plus there were usually less people in the Great Hall at this time and he could get_ some_ peace and quiet. He sat down at the Slytherin table and started to fill his plate with food. He glanced around the room and noticed Hermione sitting at the far end with a book in her hand and 2 plates stacked with food. She was slowly picking at one of the plates whilst deeply engrossed with the book.

He took a moment to take in her appearance, over the weeks of the term she had lost weight and had started to look quite pale, it was as though she was just disappearing before everyone's eyes. He wondered whether or not he was the only one to realise. To him, she still looked as beautiful as she had been before the war. He wasn't going to deny it, he found her attractive before the war had begun but at the time it was not a good thing to voice this. His heart wrenched when he saw her move the book and her eyes looked sunken and tired, it was a sad sight to see. There was movement beside him and he spotted Blaise sitting down next to him look quite tired and ready to fall asleep on his toast.

"You okay mate?" he asked his friend

"Pansy" said Blaise before thumping his head down on the table; Draco flinched slightly at the thud "Her voice is too loud for the morning"

Draco couldn't help but laugh at this comment, he knew all too well that her shrill voice in the morning was too much, hence his quick escape earlier. Breakfast passed without a hitch as Pansy had come down but had decided to sit with the Greengrass sisters.

Breakfast finished without a hitch and Draco stood up with Blaise and slinked off to class, well Draco didn't slink, it wasn't what Malfoys did but Blaise certainly slinked his way through the corridors. They went separate ways as Blaise headed to the astronomy tower and Draco headed down into the dungeons for potions with Gryffindor.

He entered the classroom and as always he was early for his class, a Malfoy was always on time or early. Inside the old potions room sat Hermione at a desk at the front of the room, her head tilted over her book reading, she looked to be scribbling things down in the margins of the book. Being as quiet as he could, Draco walked down the steps towards her desk. Hermione looked up at him with a small jump as she came out of her thoughts.

"Oh it's you," she said before glancing back down at her book. She sounded worn out and looked almost as bad. To Draco she still looked perfect but just a bit tired, like she hadn't sleep for a while.

"Do you mind if I sit?" he asked cautiously, Hermione just nodded absentmindedly. Draco sat down and leaned over to look over her shoulder at the book. It was a potions book and she was reading about brewing a Memory Potion, he frowned slightly before looking back up at her face.

"My parents don't remember me" said Hermione breaking the silence, there was a pause in her speech and Draco frowned again at her, her parents didn't remember her? "At the start of the war, I hid them and erased myself from their memories. I've been trying to build up the courage to get their memories back but-" she continued but her voice sounded like it would crack any moment "but what if they don't accept what's happened"

There was another pause in the conversation; Draco was trying to reel in what she had just said. He believed Hermione to be one of the bravest people in the world, she had gone through the war without any family and she had risked her parents ever remembering her just so that they could be safe.

"You'll never know if you don't at least try" replied Draco after a moment's pause then continued "The question is, are you more miserable now without them knowing you, or would you be more miserable if they knew and didn't accept you, but at least knew you were fine"

Hermione's head went even lower then before and Draco sighed internally, he'd tried just giving her some sort of hope for the future _'Guess it backfired...'_

"When we finish this year, there's isn't anything out there for me." Started Hermione again "If it wasn't bad enough being a muggle born before the war, being a werewolf is certainly not better" she said sighing and closing the book and placing it on the table next to the cauldron.

"Of course there's something out there, do you really think there's going to be something huge out there for me? Someone who was associated with Death Eaters most of their lives?" said Draco, he knew that out of the both of them, he had to have hope that there'd be something out there after Hogwarts.

Soon after that statement students started to file into the room slowly, not really feeling like being in potions today. Hermione looked up at Draco as he stood up to go and find another work place, he looked back at her and smiled weakly before patting the seat he'd just gotten up from. Frowning slightly Draco sat back down and opened his mouth but Snape swept into the room and demanded they open their books.

"Today we shall be brewing the Wolfsbane potion" he said monotonously while glancing around the room at his student, there was a thud in the front row as Hermione hit her head on the desk in exasperation. This was not going to be her favourite day at all. "Is there a problem Miss Granger?" she shook her head from where it was on the desk and she could hear some of the other students giggling behind her. For Hermione though she felt like there was something withering inside her, of course she knew that the only reason they were being taught about the Wolfsbane potion was for her benefit but she didn't need the rest of the class to know that.

"Perhaps you could tell us what the uses are for this potion Miss Granger?" he said again looking at her as she raised her head briefly and sighed "Enthusiasm is always welcome" he commented snarkily before turning to the class "Silent!" immediately the class went quiet.

"The Wolfsbane potion is taken on the night of a full moon by a witch or wizard suffering from lycanthropy, it ensures that throughout the transformation the sufferer can essentially retain their human mind whilst their body changes. It's to stop the sufferer losing their mind during their transformation." She said as though reading from a book, this was something that she had commonly read in the books she had been studying.

"That is right" said Snape sourly "5 points to Gryffindor. Read the page and begin brewing your potion, I was a vial of each potion on my desk by the end of the class"

Draco turned his head slightly to look at Hermione as she read the potion list intently before her head shot up

"Right I'll get the ingredients and you get the cauldron ready and instructions" she said in a matter of fact way, he nodded silently and as he was setting everything up to begin he couldn't help but study her again.

She was standing by the ingredients room looking through the shelves of different ingredients trying to gather all that is needed. He knew that this was an important potion to learn so he opened the book and started studying it intensely. Although feeling a little bit awkward through the potions class, it had finished quicker then Draco had realised as Hermione stood up to hand in their vial of potion.

After he gathered up his stuff he realised that Hermione had packed her stuff and fled out the doors of the potions classroom, he sighed to himself and finished packing up to get ready for the rest of the day's worth of lessons.

* * *

Hermione hadn't shown up for dinner that evening either, it was starting to irritate Draco to no end when he glanced over at the golden trio sans Hermione and saw that she didn't in fact come to dinner. He looked back at the door and then back over at the group of friends.

"Are you alright mate?" said Blaise beside him "You keep looking at the door and at the Potter,"

"I am not!" replied Draco indignantly before sighing to himself when he realised he was just sitting and waiting for _her_ to show up.

"I can see you're lying mate, I've known you too long" said his friend before turning back to his food "You're watching for Granger aren't you?

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to me mate" laughed his friend quietly "Like I've said, I've known you for too long"

"Yea" sighed Draco before giving up and eating his dinner. When he was finished he stood up and said his byes to his friends before wandering out of the Great Hall. He didn't feel like going back to the common room where he'd have to deal with Pansy all over again. He'd successfully avoided her except during lunch and dinner where she'd tried to basically sit in her lap. His mind wandered to Hermione as he aimlessly wandered the halls of Hogwarts. He hadn't seen her after the potions class which had upset him as he'd just wanted to sit and talk with her. He'd decided that he liked talking to her, each time he'd find something different about her or her past and it showed how it had made her more unique. This of course was something new to him as he'd been brought up to hate people like her. People who were born in a muggle family that had somehow come to have magical abilities, magical abilities that only people born into a wizarding family should have. He no longer saw her as a 'mudblood' because after what he had witnessed throughout the war was that she was exactly like he was, she felt emotions like him, and she was intelligent and determined and had a strong sense of justice and loyalty. These were qualities that-when growing up –he was told they shouldn't have that they were something a kin to 'freaks' as Pansy had once put it.

However before the final battle he had thought about everything that had happened in the run up to the final battle and decided that it was a load of rubbish. Then the clincher was watching the attack on her by the werewolf. He had seen it but had been powerless to stop it, only being able to see it over the death eater's shoulder that he was duelling. He'd heard her scream and just as he killed the death eater in front of him, he saw the horrific scene of Hermione Granger using her wand to stab the werewolf in the neck, with so much force the wand looked as though it would snap.

It was then that he had seen her scream before collapsing onto the ground. He felt as though he should have been able to do something to save her from the cruel fate that had befallen her that day. He wanted to help her. No, _needed_ to help her, he needed to help her to atone for the fact he had not been able to help her and had witnessed the attack. Draco decided then that he would do what it took to help Hermione, find peace for what has happened, if that meant that once a month he'd fly out over the forbidden forest and follow her, guarding her then he would.

Finding that his musings had taken him to the library door, he walked through and began to wander through the library, occasionally stopping to look at the books on the shelves. He could feel Madam Pince watching him as he scrolled through the spines of books, looking for one that was particularly interesting. As he rounded the corner of a shelf of a quieter area he noticed, Hermione sitting slumped over a table with her parchment under her arms and her quill discarded. She was looking forward across the table and Draco could not help but smile as she was watching the paper lion prance around the table quietly. She had a small smile on her lips though her eyes looked tired and her face worn. It seemed she had passed on dinner to finish the essays that were due after the Christmas Holidays. He crept over quietly before reaching out to pull the chair out next to her; she jumped slightly when she saw the hand and looked up at him blinking.

"You know you're going to damage your reputation by sitting with me" she warned, looking around and seeing people watching them together

"I don't care" he replied quietly with a shrug of his shoulders "Its just a bunch of snotty fourth years"

Hermione giggled slightly before turning her head back to the lion on the table. He could see that she had sunk back into 'Hermione land' and he decided that he'd just sit there and relax whilst observing her.

"It's a bit creepy that you're watching me"

"I know, that's why I do it" he said smirking at her

"I guess I should ask you if you're staying here for Christmas" she asked, her eyes not straying for the paper lion as it moved to come closer to her. She knew that he knew that she'd only asked that to be polite but he didn't mind.

"I haven't decided yet," came his reply before they both went quiet again. They sat over the next few hours talking about different things; Hermione's essay was discarded and forgotten about as she started to enjoy the talking. It was only when Madam Pince came over to shuffle them out of the library that they packed everything up and started out of the library. Just as they got to the moving staircases Draco turned to Hermione.

"You know that I will be there for you when you need me"

There was a pause as Hermione looked up at him, he head tilting to the side slightly

"Why're you doing this? Why now?" she replied quietly, turning her head to look down at the floor. It was seemingly so much more interesting then before.

_Oh look at the little cracks; I wonder how old the stones are..._

She felt Draco's hand go to her chin and tilt her head upwards so that she would look at him in the eyes; he leant forward towards her and whispered

"Atonement"

He leant forward then and kissed her.

_Oh Merlin..._

* * *

_**Thanks for reading :)**  
_


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